Commuter Life: Show you’re hungry

Eat breakfast. Go to school. Eat more food, if there’s time. Go home. Work on assignments. Complete assignments. Go to a meeting. Eat dinner. Submit a story before deadline. Go to bed. It’s an endless process with minimal changes from day to day. Eating weaves its way within the cycle.

While I know many college students living on campus have weird eating habits, mine remain somewhat normal in regards to healthy eating. On my busiest day of the week I have a six hour school day with a 30 minute break in between. Those 30 minutes are designated to my turkey and cheese sandwich. Once I get home, I barely skim the surface of relaxation, and I’m back at it again with school assignments until I have to cover a town meeting. Back and forth is a constant pull between activities and neglect for food.

But when I do get my hands on food, it’s like snacking never stops. Who knows the next time I’ll catch a break so it’s important to eat what I can when I can.

Eating is a side thought in my mind when busy with school work. As the hours fly by it’s not until I look at the clock and realize it’s time for dinner. Nothing brings me back to reality like the smell of chicken in a slow cooker. No take out or fast food could ever compare to a home cooked meal.

Speaking of crockpots, they are arguably the best invention since sliced bread. Recipes are easy to find online and the most time consuming part, if you want to call it that, is prep time. Throw all the ingredients in, go about your day and come home to a meal ready for whenever you are. I’ve definitely learned a few meals I love making thanks to cooking from home.

The stereotype of college students being broke weighs large, and I rarely find myself eating at Chick-fil-A or even Wawa anymore. However, these options have been quick and are cheap ways of grabbing a meal rather than finding the time and money to eat at a restaurant during the week.

It’s harder than you would think to grab something healthy and fulfilling when on the go, especially when you’re in a rush. Taking a second to relax and think about what you’re eating and when is important in keeping a somewhat regular schedule.

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